Carrier for mail-pouches.



G. G.'SNOW.

CARRIER FOB MAIL POUCHES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1909.

Patented Dec. 6,1910.

' IIlVEIlIEJI' Q V x v 1 W r Q /M a 4 w 4. 0 E 1 A a u EH5 CLAUDE C.SNOW, OF HINSIDALE, ILLINOIS.

CARRIER FOR MAIL-POUCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

Application filed May 14, 1909. Serial No. 495,889.

To alltvho'm it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE C. SNOW, a

citizen of the United States, residing at- Hinsdale, in the county ofDupage and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Carriers for MailPouches, of which the following is afull, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a carrier for mail pouches, and has specialreference to an improved form of carrier which is adapted to be attachedto the arms of a supporting crane from which the mail pouch can beremoved by the action of a catcher which is placed on a moving train.

According to the usual practice, the crane 1s supplied with twohorizontal arms between which the mail pouch is suspended, suitablerings being attached to the mail pouch for this purpose. Near the endsof each horizontal arm of the crane is pivotally supported a projectingbar which is capable of free movement in a horizontal plane. The commonmethod of attaching such a bar to the end of a crane arm is to use a barwhich is bent in order to form a right angle. One portion of the bar isinserted in an opening in the end of the crane arm, so that it will bein a vertical plane whereas the other portion extends horizontally. Thebar is held in position by the use of a suitable nut near the end of thevertical portion. In the case of the upper arm, the horizontal portionof the bar lies below the arm, whereas in the case of the lower arm, thebar lies above the arm. IVhen it is desired to place the mail pouch inposition, the rings attached to the upper and lower ends of the pouchare slipped over the bars attached to the upper and lower armsrespectively, of the crane. hen the pouch is removed by the action of acatcher on a moving train, the movable bars are first turned in adirection corresponding to that in which the train is moving and therings of the pouch then slipped ofi the bars. There are severaldisadvantages in this device. In many cases the rings become turned onthe bars so that they will not readily slip off, with the result thatthe rings are often torn from the mail pouch.

In case there is inequality in the road bed,

instead of being pulled off of the bars, the rings of the mail pouch aresometimes forced in a direction away from the train with the result thatthere is great difliculty in re moving the pouch with the consequentliability of tearing off the rings. Moreover, according to this system,when the catcher strikes the mail pouch at approximately its centralportion, a downward pull is exerted on the upper ring, and an upwardpull on the lower ring which adds greatly to the difiiculty of slippingthe rings off the bars. In some cases, a bar movable in a horizon talplane is used which has a spring cooperating with the bar to hold thering of the mail pouch in position. In this device, the samedifficulties are encountered as those mentioned above. In case the lowerring of the mail pouch becomes disconnected with the projecting bar, itis obvious that there will be a great liability for the mail pouch toswing on the upper bar. The result of this is that as the train passes,the mail pouch is often swung by the wind or is struck by the cabcurtain on the locomotive, and becomes inaccessible to the catcher, sothat the pouch is not conveyed to the moving train.

According to my improved device, a special carrier is attached to eachof the two arms of the crane. This carrier consists of a tongue memberand a cooperating U- shaped spring member, the ring of the mail pouchbeing secured between the two. When the mail pouch is in position, andit is struck by the carrier, there is no opportunity for the ring tobecome caught in any way on the bar. On the other hand, the rings are removed from the two carriers by a direct pull, the downward and upwardaction of this pull being as effective in removing the mail pouch, asthe forward pull which results from the action of the moving train. Incase the lower ring of the mail pouch is removed from the carrier, theupper ring is securely held in position so that there is much lesstendency for the pouch to be swung by the action of the wind and otherforces, than is the case with devices formerly in use. This results in amuch larger percentage of catches by the use of my device than whenother devices are used.

Turning now to the detailed description of my invention, in thedrawings, Figure l is an elevation showing the mail pouch in position onthe crane, Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the carrier, Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of the carrier.

Taking up first the description of the carrier itself, 1 is a metallictongue suitably cured to a round bar 2 by means of bending the upperportion of the tongue 1 in such manner that it incloses the bar 2. Atits lower portion, the tongue 1 is suitably bent to cooperate with theU-shaped spring member 3. The ends 4 of the spring member 3 encircle thebar 2 and are provided with ex tensions 5 which cooperate with suitableprojections 6 on the tongue 1. The lower portion of the spring member 3is bent in an opposite direction to the lower portion of the tonguemember 1, in such manner that a ring 7 may be held by the cooperatingaction of the tongue member 1, and the spring member 3. hen the partsare in the position shown in the drawings, the tongue 1 exerts pressureon the ring 7 by means of a cooperating action of the spring member 3and its extensions 5 which bear on the projections 6 of the tonguemember 1. In order to remove the ring 7 from its retained position, itis evident that it becomes necessary to exert a downward pull whichgradually forces the tongue member 1 and the spring member 3 in oppositedirections. The pressure which it is necessary to exert in order toremove the ring 7 may be varied by changing the degree of curvature onthe lower portion of the members 1 and 3, by varying the normal positionof the extensions 5 or by changing the size or stiffness of the wireused in making the spring member 3. In order to place the ring 7 in theposition shown in the drawings, the ring may be slipped laterallybetween one side of the tongue member and one of the inner sides of thespring member, and then turned under the tongue member in such mannerthat this member is forced into the position shown and the ring isbrought in front of the other side of the spring member. This method ofplacing the ring in position is very simple and easy of manipulation.

As shown in Fig. 1, the carrier is supported on the bar 2, which is inturn rigidly supported to the end of the upper crane arm 8, by means ofan eye-bolt 9, and a vertical portion 10 of the bar 2. This verticalportion and the eye-bolt are held in position by the nuts 11 and 12. Onthe end of the bar 2 is provided a nut 13 or other suit able abutmentportion, the carrier being retained on the bar 2 between the eye-bolt 9,and the nut 13. The attachment of parts to the lower crane arm 11 issimilar to that of the upper crane arm 8, except that bar 2 is attachedto the upper surface of the arm and the carrier extends in an upwardinstead of a downward direction. The two crane arms 8 and let aresuitably attached to the vertical member 15, by any of the well-knownmethods. The mail pouch 16 y provided with ring 7-7 is supported by thetwo carriers according to the method described above. hen the catcher ofa train strikes the mail pouch 16 the carriers are turned on the bars 2in a direction corre sponding to that of the moving train, the uppercarrier being moved forwardly and upwardly and the lower carrier beingmoved forwardly and downwardly. When the catcher has exerted sufficientpressure on the mail pouch, the rings 77 are directly pulled from theirretaining positions be tween the members 1 and 3 of the carriers and themail pouch is thus readily conveyed to the moving train.

It is clear that many minor variations could be made in the exactconstruction of the device which I have described but What I claim asnew and desire to cover by Letters Patent is:

1. In a supporting carrier, the combination of two separate butcooperating members, said members exerting lateral pressure in oppositedirections, and adapted to retain between them a third member capable ofremoval from said carrier by suitable pressure exerted in a planecorresponding with that of the main axis of the carrier.

2. In combination, a supporting member, and a carrier held by saidsupporting member, said carrier consisting of a central member and acooperating inclosing member, said cooperating members exerting lateralpres sure in opposite directions and having their distal portionssuitably bent to retain a fourth member, said fourth member capable ofremoval from said carrier by suitable pressure exerted in a planecorresponding with that of the main axis of the carrier and in adirection away from said support.

3. In a carrier for mail pouches, the combination with a supportingmember, of a tongue member rotatably attached to said supporting member,an inclosing spring member also rotatably attached to said supportingmember to cooperate with said tongue member and adapted to exert lateralpressure when a ring is inserted between the tongue member and theinclosing member, said ring adapted to be removed from said carrier onthe application of sufficient pressure on said ring in a direction awayfrom said supporting member, by first rotating the carrier until itsaxis lies substantially in the plane of the direction of said pressureand then pulling the ring from its engaged position.

1. In a carrier for mail pouches, the combination of a supportingmember, a tongue member rotatably attached to said supporting member,and an inclosing spring member rotatably attached to said supportingmember and bearing on said tongue member, lateral pressure being exertedbetween said members when the ring of the mail pouch is inserted betweenthem, thereby retaining said ring in position.

In a carrier for mail pouches, the combination of a supporting member, atongue member rotatably attached to said supporting member, and aninclosing spring member rotatably attached to said supporting member andbearing on said tongue member, the free ends of said cooperating membersbeing suitably bent to readily retain the ring of the mail pouch betweenthem, lateral pressure being exerted between said members when said ringis in position between said members.

6. In a carrier for mail pouches, the combination of a supportingmember, a tongue member rotatably connected to said supporting member, aU-shaped spring member rotatably attached to said supporting member andinclosing said tongue member, the ends of said spring member bearing onsaid tongue member, the distal portions of said tongue and springmembers being bent in opposite directions to readily retain the ring 25of the mail pouch, said members exerting lateral spring pressure inopposite directions when said ring is-inserted between them.

7. In a carrier for mail pouches, the combination of a supportingmember, and a relatively inherently rigid member and a resilient membercooperating to exert pressure in opposite directions upon a deviceremovably held between them.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto sign my 35 name, this 12th day of May, A.D. 1909.

CLAUDE G. SNOW. lVitnesses PETER F. DEHR, HENRY N. HUXLEY.

